Wendy Colby

Vice President and Associate Provost for BU Virtual at Boston University

Wendy Colby joined BU in 2022 as the inaugural Vice President and Associate Provost of BU Virtual, a new unit designed to advance BU’s online presence – bringing innovation and service capabilities to support the creation of high-quality online programs. Working in close collaboration with BU’s deans and academic leaders, Wendy provides strategic leadership in the design, development and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models, programs and solutions, designed to increase access and impact for more learners, and promote student success. She oversees a team that manages a portfolio of online degree and certificate programs that provide students with the flexibility and mobility to advance their education and accelerate their careers.

Wendy brings more than 25 years of leadership and expertise in online and hybrid program creation and development, working closely with major institutions across higher education to lead, design, implement, support, and scale high-quality degree and certificate offerings. Most recently, she served as chief executive officer of UMGC Ventures, a portfolio of education technology and services businesses affiliated with the University of Maryland Global Campus (serving over 90,000 students) and the broader University System of Maryland’s regional campuses, working collaboratively with university leaders to design new programs, optimize existing systems, and enhance the overall student journey. She has extensive experience in strategic product management, innovation, portfolio development, marketing, online program management, entrepreneurial leadership, technology enablement, and more

Prior to UMGC Ventures, Wendy was divisional vice president at Laureate Education, where she led the development, commercialization, and scale of digital teaching and learning solutions for over 80 universities around the world. During her tenure, she also led the College of Nursing at Walden University, overseeing enrollment, marketing, portfolio management, online program development, and profit and loss operations. She has additionally held senior leadership roles with Carnegie Innovations (an affiliate of Carnegie Mellon University), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Thomson Reuters, and Silicon Valley-based startup DigitalThink, guiding digital transformation efforts and spearheading new lines of business growth.

A graduate of Illinois State University, she holds a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco.